The second edition of Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front (“IoG”) is currently on the P-500 list.

Links to prototype unit counters, player aid cards, mapboard, rules, and playbook can be found on the IoG webpage. 

Playtesters have remarked about the difficulty of fighting Large Unit Counters (“LCUs”) representing regular or elite German infantry corps.  Each of them has a Loss Factor (LF) of “3”.  Under the Combat Results Table, those units end up absorbing hits without taking step reductions.

 A unit’s step reduction is caused by applying the unit’s Loss Factor (LF) to the Loss Number (LN) generated by the Combat Results Table for damage inflicted by the enemy (Rule 12.6.2).  If the LN is equal to or greater than a unit’s LF, the unit loses a step; if the LN is less than the unit’s LF, then the unit absorbs the LN without taking damage (Rule 12.6.3). 

Too often, they say, the LN applied to a German regular or elite infantry LCU is less than the unit’s LF.  An LF of “3” reduces the likelihood of a step reduction.  Reviewing history, German regular and elite infantry were more durable. 

However, they are not invincible.  LCUs fielded by the Allied Powers (AP) will inflict losses on German regular or elite infantry.  Trading punches may cause AP units to incur comparatively larger losses, but this can be mitigated.  One way is by rotating fresh AP units into the front lines to replace damaged ones.  Another way is by judiciously accumulating Replacement Points (RPs) from IoG’s Strategy Cards.

Strategy Cards may be used to accumulate RPs if not played for Operations (OPS) Points or Events.  When played for OPS Points, they activate spaces and unit stacks in regions for Movement or Combat (Rule 4.2.3).  Strategy Cards played for Events trigger special actions described on the cards (Rule 9.7.1).

Replacement Points are usually recorded for later use during the Replacement Phase.  Some cards provide RPs for immediate use.  During the Replacement Phase, players can spend the number of RPs recorded to rebuild that Nation’s units.  Reduced-strength units on the mapboard are rebuilt in the spaces that they occupy (Rule 16.1).

Unit rotation and proper accumulation of RPs will enable AP units to fight German regular or elite infantry LCUs.  Try it on “Illusions of Glory, 2nd Edition”.

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